Conveyer



N. PELOSI Aug. 10, 1943.

CONVEYER Filed July 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M 44 034M h. @wu. A T TOE N era Aug. 10, 1943. N. PELOSI 2,326,165

CONVEYER FiledJqly 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY M ATTORNEYS INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 10, 1943' Nicholas Pelos i, Newark, N. J assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 18, 1940, Serial No. 346,205

Claims. 7 (01.198-160) The present invention relates to can or-container conveyers and the like and has particular reference to a conveyer which has propelling fingers'which makes point contact with a can to be propelled so that the can will be" prevented from being crushed against the conveyer while raveling along curved paths of travel.

In propelling rectangular and the like shape cans of light weight material such as fibre cans, the usual fiat faced conveyer fingers generally found in can conveyers prevent movement of the can relative to the fingers when traveling along curved paths of travel and hence the corners of the cans sometimes bind against the fingers and this results in 'a jamming of the can against the conveyer. This usually crushes the can and causes considerable trouble in the conveyer. v

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difficulty by providin pointed contact elements on the conveyer fingers which permit the can to rotate or pivot relative. to the fingers while being conveyed along a. curved path of travel and thereby prevent crushing of the can and jamming of the conveyer.

An object therefore of the invention is the provision. of a can conveyer having can propelling fingers thereon'at spaced intervals along its length wherein the fingers are formed with pointed contact elements which engage the can at predetermined points and thus permit movement of the can relative to the propelling fingers when the can is being conveyed along a curved path of travel and thereby prevent crushing or 7 firm while movingalong its path of travel and prevent whippingof the conveyer with deleterious effects upon the cans carried thereon.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the:

invention will be apparent as it is betterunderstood from the following description; which,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred thereof.

'Referring to the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a can conveyer embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. l, the view being turned through an angle of ninety degrees; and V i 1 Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the upper end of the conveyer shown in Fig. 1, the view illustrating how a-can body travels around a curved path of travel. 7

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a continuously moving vertical elevator for carrying light embodiment Hence asa member 25 on Weight rectangular can bodies Afrom one elevation to a higher elevation and thence around a curved path of travel.

Suchan elevator includes a vertically disposed endless chain conveyer H (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which takes over a lower sprocket l2 and an upper sprocket iii. The lower sprocket is mounted on a driving shaft l5 which is journaled in suitablebearings formed in a machine base housing ill. The shaft may be rotated in any suitable manner. The direction of rotation of theshaft is such that the conveyer chain It travels upwardly along the front of-the machine (at the left as viewed in Fig. 1), over the sprocket l3 and thence down toward the sprocket I2.

The upper sprocket I3 ismounted on an idler shaft it which is journaled in bearings Iii formed in a vertical frame 2|. -The frame is formed on a cover plate 22 which is-secured to the top of the base housing l6.

At spaced intervals, the chain conveyer II is provided with can carrying or propelling members or fiights 25.

ing elements or lugs 28 which are disposed adjacent the outer ends of the arms.

In order to prevent whipping or vibration of the chain conveyer H as it travels upwardly along the front of the frame 2|, the link portions 2% of the members 25 carry cam rollers 3| which are mounted on pins 32. The pins are carried in and extend transversely of the link portions 26 the rollers being carried on the outer :ends of the pins. These rollers operate in vertical cam tracks 33 formed on'the front face of the frame 2i and which are adjacent the path 0 travel oi thechain conveyer.

the chain conveyer ll passes under the lower sprocket I2 and starts upwardly alongthe front of the machine, its

rollers 3 l' immediately engage in and travel along a the tracks 33. This guides the members while they travel upwardly and it is this guiding action of, the members 25 that prevents whipping and undue vibration of the chain conveyer.

The can bodies A to be carried in the elevator enter the machine in a horizontal position passing along a runway or table 38 which is disposed near the bottom of the elevator! Themachine end of the table is secured to a bracket-.731 which r is bolted to the housing cover plate 22 The table extends into the path of travel of the conveyer members 2 5 and is provided withj a clearance opening therein tapermitjthpassage of the members as they travel upwardly with the chain. The can bodies may be advanced along the table 36 in any suitable manner, preferably by means which permit them to engage and push each other'into the path of travel of the conveyer members. Hence as a conveyor member 25 travels upwardly along the front of the elevator, the two pointed elements 28 of themembers engage 'under the innermost can body A on the; P

table and carry it upwardly with themovihg conp veyer.

7 During this upward travel, thecan bodies are retained in position on the carrying member 25 by spaced and parallel guide rails M which are disposed adjacent the path of travel of the bodies. I There are preferably six of these guide rails,

cated two adjacent the innerv surface of the bodies, two adjacentethei outer surface, and one at each end of the bodies as best shown in Fig. 2. These guide rails are secured in a pair of spaced brackets 42 which are bolted to pads 53 formed on the machine'frame 2!. ,Adjacentrthe body entering table 36 the two outer guide railsl are cut short topermit the entering, can bodies to pass under them as the 45 which is bolted to pads 46 formed on the frame 7 When a can body A is pushed around this .curved portion of the guidera-ils, the pointed elements 28 of the members permit the body to rotate slightly relative to the member as best shown in Fig. 3. This prevents the adjacent inner corner of the body from coming into contact with the member and also prevents a pressure from being exerted at the corner of the body" thus obviating any forcing of the parts outof square or any jamming against the guide rails. Withthe point contaot a's provided by the member elements 28, the body is pushed around the curved section of the guide rails without distortion whereupon it slides down the inclined section to any suitable place of deposit.

It'is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be madein the form,'construction and arrangement ofthe partswithout departing from the spirit and. scope "of 'jthe invention or sacrificing all of its material adli etaining guide members also including a straight vertical section and a curved section respectively "extending along and around said straight "and curved conveyor sections and engageablewith' opposite sides of a can propelled by said conveyor, can carrying members'disposed in spaced 'rela wtio'no'n said conveyer respectively for propelling ';rectangularfcans in spaced relation alon'g'a'preof travel while the cans are retained between said straight and curved sections of the guide members, and rigid conical can engaging elements carried on and projecting laterally from said members and adapted to respectively engage against a can in point contact so that the can may tilt on their longitudinal axes relative to said can engaging elements while being continuously propelled in spaced relation along the straight and curved conveyer sections without being crushed against said guide'members. 2.. In a can elevator, the combination of a continuously movable endless conveyer having a 7 straight vertical section and a connected curved determined connected straight and'curvedpath section disposed above said vertical section, can retaining guide members alsoincluding a straight 1vertical section and a curved section respectively member having a pair of outwardly extending arms and each arm having a rigid conical can engaging element projecting laterally therefrom for making point contact with rectangular cans fed into said conveyor for continuously propelling said cans in spaced relation along the predetermined'connected straight and curved paths of travel defined by said conveyer and guide men bers while the cans are retained between said straight curved sections of the guide member's, the point Contact with said cans allowing pivotal movement of the cans relative to the c rrying nembers '55 that the cans may tilt on t longitudinal axes relative to and while maintained in spaced relation by said can cngag ing elements, whereby said cans may be propelled along said straight and curved paths of travel without being crushed by the carrying members against said guide members.

v 3. In a can elevator, the combination of a conveyer having a straight vertical section and a connected curved section, can retaining guide sections and e'ngageable Withopposite sides of a "can'propelled by said conveyer, can carrying members' secured to said conveyor at spaced intervals along its length, can propellingarms formed on each of' said members for moving the cans while the same are 'retain'ed'bet'ween said straight and curved sections of the guide members, rigid can engaging'elem'ents respectively formed on said arms andadapted to engage against a can in "point contact'so that the cans may tilt on their longitudinal axes relative to said can engaging v elements and readily propelled along the predetermined straight and curved paths of travel definecl by said conveyor and guide sections while the cans are retained 'betweensaid straight and curved sections of the guide members to insure against crushing the cans by said conveyor carrying members against said can retaining guide members; a cam track disposed adjacent the vertical path'of travel'of said conveyor and cam rollers carried by said members and adapted to I -;operate in said cam track'to guide said conveyor 7 0 'andto prevent whipping thereof while moving along said verticalpath of travel.

' :NICHOLAS PELOSI. 

